


and then you bring me home.

by redhoods



Series: but this time not alone. [2]
Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-18 19:01:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1439341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redhoods/pseuds/redhoods
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A moment later, the bottle of sunscreen smacks into his chest and he gapes at Matt who’s trying to hide his grin while pulling his shirt off.</p><p>Jeremy figures he can forgive him, if this is the view he’s going to get.</p><p>When he finally manages to drag his eyes up, Matt’s watching him, a smirk on his lips, but his cheeks are ruddy, “I know it’s a great view, but you think you could stop staring long enough to help me with sunscreen?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	and then you bring me home.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [treesfall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/treesfall/gifts).



> And then you bring me home  
> Afraid to find out that you're alone, no  
> And I'm sleeping in your living room  
> But we don't have much room  
> To live
> 
> *** this can be read as a stand alone or with the other. they're not necessarily connected. ***

The leather is hot under him, sticking to his skin and making it hard for him to get comfortable. Jeremy gives up his attempts, instead slumping against the door, his knees bent and his toes brushing Matt’s swim trunk clad thigh. His sunglasses are doing little to block the sun out and Jeremy should be miserable, but he’s not, slumped sideways against the seat, watching Matt focus pointedly on the road.

He hums, low in his throat, and wiggles his toes on Matt’s thigh, trying to get his attention, “Are we there yet?”

Matt swats at him, half hearted, before his hand returns to the wheel, “You were the one that wanted to sleep in instead of leaving while it was still bearable outside,” he replies and it’s the same variation of the response Jeremy got the last time he asked.

“We should’ve stopped for drinks,” he mumbles then, acting pitiful with his cheek smushed against the headrest.

There’s a huff, indignant and just edging on frustrated, “There’s waters in the cooler in the back,” Matt replies and his grip twists on the steering wheel so Jeremy figures he should probably back off for a little while, instead focusing on levering himself forwards to reach the back window. His fingers just barely reach the handle of the cooler but he manages enough of a grip to haul it up and it takes some wiggling to get the thing through the window, but he manages.

It takes shuffling, his legs are just too long and in the way, so the cooler ends up in the floorboard and Jeremy resettles with his toes pressed against Matt’s thigh. It’s too hot for too much more contact anyways, with the pick up’s ac blowing not quite cold, but not quite hot air on them. “You want a water?” He asks softly, almost shy as he peeks over at Matt.

Matt’s cheeks are flushed from the heat, a bead of wells up on his temple and Jeremy tracks its movement down his cheek and over his jaw, before he realizes that Matt answered him at some point and is now watching him from the corner of his eye. The tips of Matt’s ears are pink now and his eyebrow is arched, Jeremy can feel the judgment rolling off him in waves, “Can I get that water now that you’re done ogling me?”

Jeremy’s face flushes for a reason that’s not entirely heat and he fishes two bottles out, cracking one open and leaving the lid on before he passes it to Matt. He opens his own and tries not to down it all in one go.

\--

He wakes up to Matt’s hand on his knee and his face squished weirdly against the headrest, “Don’t even remember falling asleep,” Jeremy mumbles around a yawn as he stretches his body out, careful not to knock into Matt. Reaching behind himself, he opens the truck door and carefully slides backwards out and grabs the cooler.

“Doesn’t look like there’s anybody here,” Matt calls from the bed of the truck where he’s grabbing the bag they packed.

“Good,” Jeremy replies, then, “I hate when it’s crowded.”

Matt makes a sound that he takes as agreement and they meet at the front of the truck, shoulders bumping as they walk through the sand down closer to the water.

The bag is dropped down once they pick a spot and Jeremy sets the cooler next to it before digging for their towels. Matt’s end up slapping him in the face and Jeremy grins at him sheepishly as he spreads his own towel out. A moment later, the bottle of sunscreen smacks into his chest and he gapes at Matt who’s trying to hide his grin while pulling his shirt off.

Jeremy figures he can forgive him, if this is the view he’s going to get.

When he finally manages to drag his eyes up, Matt’s watching him, a smirk on his lips, but his cheeks are ruddy, “I know it’s a great view, but you think you could stop staring long enough to help me with sunscreen?”

Huffing, Jeremy grabs the bottle and whirls his finger, indicating to Matt to turn around, “I suppose I can offer some assistance.”

The lid snapping open sounds so much louder, even with the waves crashing and the birds crowing in the air. He gets a handful and tosses the bottle on his towel before starting to work the lotion into Matt’s back. It’s kind of, actually, it’s really apparent how much tension and stress Matt carries around, Jeremy’s barely even pressing into his skin and he can still feel the knots.

“You should take a real vacation,” Jeremy says softly, then presses his thumb into one of the knots. Matt makes a pained sound but sways back towards him none the less, not saying anything.

Humming softly, he presses his thumb into the knot, rubs in circles, until it starts letting up and Matt’s sounds are more sinful than painful. And, well, he can’t stop there, continues working in lotion and working out knots, until Matt’s practically sagged back against him, boneless. “Feel better?”

Matt nods and his head lolls back against Jeremy’s shoulder, and it should be awkward, because he’s only got an inch or two on Matt, but it’s strangely not. It’s kinda nice. “Can I set up a regular appointment? Every other week?” Matt asks him, playful and almost flirtatious.

“I expect payment,” He replies, because he can’t not. Even if he has known Matt his whole life, and Matt did date his big sister, and he did date Matt’s big sister. It should be weird, but somehow it feels like natural progression.

“How about dinner?” Matt responds, turning to face him, and suddenly it’s so much more than flirting and all Jeremy can do is bob his head in a slow, deliberate nod.

\--

It feels like hours later when they finally drag themselves out of the water, stiff with salt water, and Jeremy dumps himself on his towel, wincing at the sand that’s clinging to his wet legs, but feels better seeing that Matt’s in the same position. “We’ve got food, yeah?” He asks, shuffling until he finds his shirt and unearths his sunglasses to slide them on.

“Yeah, there’s sandwiches in the cooler,” Matt answers and Jeremy feels a little bad for sleeping in so late, leaving everything to Matt. They had both worked until close and Jeremy had ended up sacked out on Matt’s couch. The old lumpy couch was slowly becoming his primary bed, even though it was wreaking havoc on his neck.

He twisted until he could get a hand on the cooler, fumbling around until he got his hand on plastic wrapped packages that he somehow missed earlier. Handing one over to Matt, he unwrapped his own and took a bite, settling more comfortably on his towel, “This was a good idea.”

Chewing and swallowing, Matt nodded in agreement, “Getting away every once in a while is always a good idea,” he replied, grinning as he took another bite.

“We should do this regularly, hit up the beach or go to the cabin, just every few weeks.”

He’s not in school anymore, there’s not much point, and they should be able to get off work every so often, seeing as they work more than anyone else. The more he thinks about it, the more he really wants it to happen.

Matt’s smiling like he agrees.

\--

They finally leave, when the sun’s starting to dip and they need more than just sandwiches and water. Jeremy feels stiff from salt and sand and sun, and Matt’s shoulders are tinged a pink that looks pretty good on him.

Jeremy offers to drive but still ends up in the passenger seat, at least, for about ten minutes before he shuffles over towards Matt and leans into his side, hiding his pleased smile when Matt’s arm settles around his shoulders. “You know, I know what sort of hell that couch can do to your neck,” Matt starts, soft and conversational, “I think there’s a decent amount of room in my bed, for both of us.”

His cheeks feel like they’re on fire and it’s not from sunburn, but he nods a little, tipping his head back more to glance up at Matt. Their eyes meet briefly before Matt focuses back on the road, “I like the sound of that.”

They’re quiet after that and Jeremy falls asleep at some point, waking up when Matt shifts behind him and lips brush over his temple. “Come on, Jere, we’re home.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is part one of amanda's birthday present because she's amazing and i love her and should tell her that more.


End file.
